Cheating is rife across many gaming platforms, but the biggest cheaters are usually found around PC gaming — despite games companies banning thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of the scamps. Valve's Steam Deck, its upcoming handheld, should make it harder to bend the rules.

Steam

The company announced titles that depend on Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) software can now run on the portable. Valve said adding Steam Deck support to titles that use EAC is “a simple process.” Developers won’t need to update their SDK version or make other time-consuming changes. It joins BattlEye support, meaning, as Valve notes: “The two largest anti-cheat services are now easily supported on Proton and Steam Deck.”

However, it’s still unclear whether some of the most popular multiplayer games on Steam that use BattlEye and EAC, including titles like Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG, will work on day one.

— Mat Smith

Another TV show is making PR problems for Peloton

Must be a hard workout.

Billions

Peloton didn’t need more bad news. The premiere episode of Billions season six includes a scene that, like the Sex and the City follow-up And Just Like That, points a finger at Peloton's Bike for causing a heart attack for Mike "Wags" Wagner (played by David Costabile). Unlike And Just Like That, however, Wagner survives — he even references the AJLT scene, telling staff that he's "not going out" like that character.

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Latest Galaxy S22 leak includes possible pricing for Europe

And less memory for the highest-specced model

Evan Blass

According to WinFuture’s Roland Quandt, European pricing for the Galaxy S22 series will start at €849 (roughly $1,018), with the base models of the Galaxy S22 Plus and Ultra slated to cost €1,049 ($1,188) and €1,249 ($1,414). If accurate, this should mean the 2022 Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup will cost just as much as it did in 2021. In Europe at least, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will ship with 8GB of RAM, while the S21 Ultra packs 12GB of RAM.

And if you thought that was pricey, a separate leak from Android Police earlier this month suggested the company could charge an extra $100 stateside for every model in the Galaxy S22 lineup. We should know more very soon.

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Apple pulls verification requirement for US education shoppers

The move may be temporary.

Earlier this week, Apple began requiring students and teachers in the US to verify their identity through authentication service UNiDAYS before they could take advantage of the company’s discounted education pricing. However, that’s since disappeared. You can once again buy discounted Macs, iPads and other Apple products from the company’s US education website without needing to verify you’re currently a student or a teacher.

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Google claims court ruling would force it to 'censor' the internet

The company appealed to Australia's High Court to overturn a defamation case.

Google has asked the High Court of Australia to overturn a 2020 ruling it warns could have a “devastating” effect on the wider internet. Google claims it will be forced to “act as censor” if the country’s highest court doesn’t overturn a decision that awarded a lawyer $40,000 in defamation damages for an article the company had linked to through its search engine.

In 2016, George Defteros, a Victoria state lawyer, contacted Google to ask the company to remove a 2004 article from The Age. The piece featured reporting on murder charges prosecutors filed against Defteros related to the death of three men. Those charges were later dropped in 2005. The company refused to remove the article from its search results as it viewed the publication as a reputable source.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Sony will release a movie made using the PlayStation game-builder 'Dreams'

'We Met in Virtual Reality' finds love in the metaverse

PlatinumGames' long-awaited shoot 'em-up arrives February 22nd

What we bought: A rice cooker whose greatest trick isn't actually rice

The latest 'Star Trek: Picard' season two trailer teases a time-traveling adventure

New Year fitness resolutions aside, many of us are cautiously making our way back to the gym. What about our home workout spaces? What about your Peloton bike? Following reports from CNBC that the company had put production on hold for its standard Bike and Tread (treadmill) products, as well as looking to cut costs, Peloton says it’s not halted production. However, and note the choice of words, Peloton CEO John Foley said in a letter to employees that the company is "resetting [its] production levels for sustainable growth."

And what to do if you’ve moved on from your Bike? My dad used his stationary bike almost daily when I was growing up. And when he didn’t, it made a pretty functional clothes rack.

— Mat Smith

Why are airlines and telecoms fighting over the 5G rollout?

5G tech has the potential to disrupt sensitive aircraft avionics.

Today, as carriers expand their 5G networks across the country, they’re faced with a dangerous prospect: That one of 5G’s spectrum bands may interfere with the radio altimeters aboard commercial aircraft below 2,500 feet, potentially causing automated landing controls to misjudge the distance from the ground and crash. This forms the basis of a fight between the US airline industry and the country’s phone carriers.

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Oura’s third-generation Ring is more powerful

But not for everybody.

Engadget

Arguably one of the most subtle wearables, the Oura ring is back. It’s smarter, it has a subscription service and it lasts almost a week between charges. But is there enough to recommend it above the Fitbits and the Apple Watches out there? It’s not a device that every fitness person will love, but Oura seems a less ostentatious way of tracking your life. Senior Editor Daniel Cooper slips on the third-generation smart ring.

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Playing Casio’s singing keyboard

Who needs humans?

Engadget

Casio hasn’t been a serious player in the world of synthesizers for some time. Recently, the company teased what seemed like a return to real-deal synths. What we got is the Casiotone CT-S1000V. It looks like a mid-range Casiotone that uses the company’s flagship AiX engine, with vocal synthesis tossed in as a bonus. In short, it’s a singing keyboard.

The novelty of being able to whip up some lyrics in the companion app, send them to the CT-S1000V and play the words as a melody was more than enough to pique Terrence O’Brien’s interest.

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Crypto.com loses $34 million in hack that affected 483 accounts

The cryptocurrency exchange published the results of its investigation.

Crypto.com's Chief Executive Kris Marszalek has admitted that hackers compromised over 400 customer accounts. While the issue was fixed immediately, and the company has fully reimbursed the affected users, unauthorized withdrawals totaled 4,836.26 Ethereum (ETH), 443.93 Bitcoin (BTC) and approximately $66,200 in other currencies. Based on current exchange rates, that's $15.3 million of ETH and $18.7 million of BTC for a total of $34 million in losses.

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Amazon is opening its first physical clothing store

Amazon, but make it fashion.

Amazon is opening its first-ever Amazon Style physical clothing store with the promise of a high-tech shopping experience, confirming a rumor from last year. It will offer brands consumers "know and love," according to Amazon, and an app will let you choose an item, size and color and send it directly to a fitting room or pickup counter. The first store is coming to The Americana at Brand in Los Angeles sometime "later this year," the company said.

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Consumer Reports now rewards driver monitoring, but only Ford and GM pass muster

'Zero Trust' is the guiding principle of Sikur's latest security-focused smartphone

Wandercraft's latest exoskeleton lets paraplegic patients walk with a more natural gait

Amazon one-day sale knocks up to 40 percent off Anker chargers and accessories

PlayStation's Wrap-Up is back to break down your PS4 and PS5 stats for 2021

Canon's EOS R5C is a hybrid cinema camera with 8K video and 45-megapixel stills

'Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga' will arrive on April 5th

Apple has finally closed a loophole in the US that allowed most buyers to claim education pricing, even if they weren't actually a student or a teacher. First noted on Reddit, the US Apple Store now requires buyers to verify their status via UNiDAYS to be able to purchase MacBooks, iPads and other devices from its education portal. The change appears to have happened over the past few days.

I’m based in the UK, where Apple has long required proof through the UNiDAYS platform to nab that often substantial discount on some of the company’s priciest devices. For legitimate students and teachers, you’ll have to click through to the UNiDAYS' partner page for Apple first and sign in before you get to those discounts. Not that anyone can go too crazy: shoppers are limited to one desktop, one Mac mini, one laptop, two iPads and two accessories per year. Still, that’s a lot of Macs.

— Mat Smith

Anemia could make space travel to Mars a challenge

In space, your body destroys more blood cells than it makes.

NASA

A new study has found that "space anemia" caused by weightlessness in space is not a temporary issue as once thought, the CBC has reported. "As long as you are in space, you are destroying more blood cells than you are making," said the University of Ottawa's Guy Trudel, who led a 14-astronaut study carried out by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

The researchers said anemia could even be an issue for space tourism. The study also noted that "current exercise and nutritional countermeasures of modern space travel did not prevent hemolysis and post-flight anemia" in the astronauts tested.

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Tesla driver in fatal California crash first to face felony charges involving Autopilot

Autopilot was apparently engaged at the time of the crash.

A Tesla owner is facing the first felony charges filed against someone using a partially automated driving system in the US. The defendant, Kevin George Aziz Riad, was driving a Model S when he crashed into a Honda Civic at a California intersection in 2019. It ended up killing the Civic's two passengers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently confirmed the vehicle’s Autopilot mode was switched on at the time of the crash. The NHTSA formally opened a probe into Tesla's driver assistance system in August last year following a string of 17 people killed in 11 crashes involving parked first responder vehicles.

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AT&T and Verizon finally switch on their C-Band 5G networks

Verizon expects to hit over 1,700 cities this month, but AT&T's rollout is more limited.

After a six-week delay — and no availability near many airports for the time being — people in some areas of the US will have access to C-Band services starting today.

AT&T is taking a relatively cautious approach to its rollout, with its C-Band 5G services going live in "limited parts" of eight metro areas, including Detroit and Chicago. Folks in three regions in Florida also use AT&T's C-Band network. Verizon (Engadget's former parent company) says 100 million more people will gain access to its 5G Ultra Wideband network this month.

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Google is discontinuing its old free G Suite tier on July 1st

Affected users will need to move to a paid Workspace plan.

First, it was Google Apps, then G Suite and now it’s Workspace. During all those name changes, Google offered new subscription plans while doing away with older ones. It now plans to sunset a tier that had survived the suite’s most recent rebranding.

In an email spotted by 9to5Google, the company told Workspace administrators it won’t offer G Suite legacy free edition as of July 1st, 2022. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to start paying for GDocs. If you're using Gmail, Docs, Sheets and the rest through a free Google account, you won't be affected by the move. Google will continue to offer free Workspace plans to nonprofits and schools that qualify for its Fundamentals tier.

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Airstream's concept electric camping trailer propels itself

The eStream helps tow itself.

Airstream

According to Autoblog, Airstream’s Thor brand has revealed an eStream concept self-propelling camper. The dual-motor trailer not only reduces the burden on the towing vehicle but can be remote-controlled from your phone to help you hitch up, reverse or simply move camp site. You can even use the motors to shift the weight distribution, so you might not need a special hitch.

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Limited beta brings Google Play Games to Windows

Play some big-name Android titles on your PC.

You can now play Google Play Games on Windows — if you live in the right country. Google has launched registration-based beta access to "popular" Play Games titles on Windows PCs in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. Google said it would offer details of later betas and expansions "soon." It previously committed to a generic 2022 rollout.

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The Backbone One made cloud gaming on the iPhone feel natural

It's an expensive controller, though.

Engadget

Whether it’s Xbox Cloud gaming, Stadia, PlayStation Remote Play or just a very severe addiction to Apple Arcade, gamepads are a better way to play many games on your smartphone. Normally that means using some kind of smartphone clip, but there are several options now that snap directly to your phone. The $100 Backbone One is a single-piece controller that extends to fit your iPhone and plugs directly into it.

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Whether it’s Xbox Cloud gaming, Stadia, PlayStation Remote Play or just a very severe addiction to Apple Arcade, gamepads are a better way to play many games on your smartphone of choice. Normally that means using some kind of smartphone clip to attach your phone to your existing controller, propping up your phone and hoping for the best, or choosing from an increasing selection of controllers that snap directly onto your phone. Instead of demanding compatible phone cases or separate pieces that connect either side of the phone, the $100 Backbone One is a single-piece controller that extends to fit it.

Unlike the Razer Kishi, which we tested in detail here, the One is a single device with a telescopic backplate that fits around any iPhone. (With some help: the One isn’t compatible with the iPhone 13 Pro. Backbone has, however, started providing a soft rubberized adapter that slides into the controller, ensuring the latest, bigger iPhones fit snugly and securely.)

Engadget/Mat Smith

So why invest in another controller for your phone when most mainstream console gamepads you probably already own already do the job? There are a few reasons. Backbone One, with its direct Lightning connection, sidesteps the extra jeopardy that comes with Bluetooth-connected controllers, which introduce another latency bump in the road. The company has wisely included a charger pass-through (gaming can burn through your battery) so you can keep your phone plugged in as you play.

The device has a subtle matte black finish, with two collar buttons on each side, a four-button layout on the right side (X, Y, A, B), a slightly-too-spongy d-pad on the left and an analog stick on each side. The sticks feel a little looser than others I’ve used, but they’re accurate and comfortable.

Backbone struck a deal with Microsoft, offering a one-month trial of Xbox’s Game Pass Ultimate for new Backbone owners. It said so on the box, it says it in the app, and it’ll say it in an email if you register the controller. You will get the hint.

The button layout does lean more towards Xbox gamers, but my PlayStation muscle memory meant I didn’t have too many issues using the One to play my PS5 remotely – just the usual drawbacks of playing with a controller that isn’t a DualSense, with its unique tricks and features. Using the touchpad will mean reaching for a section of the iPhone screen, while you’re not going to get any haptic feedback from the triggers or controller itself.

There are a handful of buttons in addition to the stable gaming ones. The orange button launches Backbone’s own game portal (part of the BackBone iOS app), while others offer screen and video sharing shortcuts or what you’d expect when pressing start or menu on console controllers.

The controller’s namesake, the spring-loaded backplate, ensures that once your phone is in place, it all feels solid and unified. The controls aren’t going to pull away, nor is there a chance of your phone slipping out. The more I spent playing through Alan Wake, then Deathloop, as well as Apple Arcade titles like Fallen Knight and Fantasian, the more it started to blur into a handheld – one with a high-resolution OLED screen. Unfortunately, you will have to remove any cases to ensure it fits inside the controller chassis.

The companion app has a few useful tricks. It can capture, edit and upload gaming content, and it’s pretty intuitive. I don’t usually capture gameplay unless it’s for work, but I’ve already used Backbone’s implementation to send short clips to friends. The company has also announced a Backbone+ subscription service that integrates Twitch streaming and even enables cable connections for keyboards and more. (You’ll get a free year of the service when buying the controller.) There’s also the ability to join chat groups and lobbies, populated with other Backbone gamers, but it’s not particularly vibrant in comparison to Discord, Reddit or other existing gamer spaces.

The app also serves as a games library, of sorts, of all the games you can play with the Backbone One, across Xbox, Stadia, Apple Arcade and individual games in Apple’s App Store. Unfortunately, it’s literally all the compatible games, including unremarkable game clones, and Xbox and Stadia titles you might not even have a subscription for. It’s a shame the app couldn’t interface with which games I’d already installed – which would be impossible for PlayStation Remote Play, admittedly. Tapping the Backbone button during a game will log the title into the library for more convenient access next time, at least. There’s deeper functionality here, but your mileage may vary. It will show recommendations of popular titles, but it’s the incredibly familiar sights of Among Us, Genshin Impact and Minecraft.

Engadget/Mat Smith

The Backbone One is a capable iPhone gamepad, so much in fact that sometimes I actively choose to play Stadia and even remote-play PlayStation when I’m in another room. It is, however, an expensive one. $100 can buy a couple of PS5 controllers, or an entire box of third-party Bluetooth gamepads and smartphone clips.

But for that price, you get a slick experience that marries well with your iPhone. Over the holidays, when I visited my family, I was able to effortlessly (aside from reading the tiny text) play Deathloop while being hundreds of miles away from my console. Like several existing split gamer pads for smartphones, it’s like a tiny Switch. The app also tries to pool together all your iOS gaming experiences in a single place, which is a nice idea, even if Backbone doesn’t quite nail the execution.

Microsoft’s been buying up studios for the last couple of years, adding notable developers and game series to the Xbox, righting the wrongs of previous generations of the company’s console — namely the lack of exclusive games. And while the purchase of Bethesda last year seemed the biggest deal made in modern gaming, Microsoft picking up Activision Blizzard blows it out of the water. There’s been a mixed response, however.

First off, the studio is mired in multiple investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at the company, with calls for CEO Bobby Kotick to step down. Further, as Senior Editor Jessica Conditt lays out, this puts an incredible amount of industry power — and titles — in the hands of one gaming platform. (Two if you include PC.)

Christian Petersen via Getty Images

And what about exclusivity? In his blog post about the acquisition, Xbox’s Phil Spencer didn’t address Sony or Nintendo platforms specifically, but he alluded to the possibility of cross-platform support. “Activision Blizzard games are enjoyed on a variety of platforms, and we plan to continue to support those communities moving forward,” he said, without getting into specifics. Spencer said similar things regarding Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls VI at first, only for his comments to change later.

— Mat Smith

Toddlers and their parents are mad about Google changing its white noise

Nest speakers are now playing a different, shorter sound.

Multiple users noticed that Google recently changed its white noise on its Nest speakers series. A new ambient noise was repeating every 10 minutes, when it used to repeat every hour, with the previously crisp sound file now apparently "muffled" and quieter than before.

There were at least 100 complaints on Nest community forums, with many people saying they use the white noise to get their babies or toddlers to sleep. The feedback reached Google, which has reverted the feature back to how it was. Rest easy, angry toddlers.

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COVIDTests.gov is now accepting orders for free rapid tests

You can request four tests per household, and the USPS will start deliveries later this month.

A little earlier than scheduled, folks in the US can now order free at-home COVID-19 tests from a United States Postal Service website. Households can each request one set of four rapid antigen tests. USPS will start shipping the kits later this month, usually within seven to 12 days of ordering.

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Garmin's new Fenix 7 smartwatches have a flashlight built in

The premium multisport watch has been button-only until now.

Garmin

Garmin’s new Fenix 7 line will now include touchscreens — a first for this series. The great outdoors, with sweat, dirt, gloves and the rest, can usually mess with the proper workings of a touch interface, so it’ll be intriguing to see how this works out. The new watches also include a new multi-LED flashlight, which can alternate between red and white as you run, matching your personal cadence.

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Fortnite's latest update adds climbable monsters

And Tilted Towers are coming back!

Epic

Say hello to Klombos. They’re climbable monsters with blowholes ion their heads to launch you into the sky. They also offer up items if you feed them. Provoke them, however, and they will attack. The latest update also revives Tilted Towers, arguably Fortnite's best-known location. While there appear to be some cosmetic changes, you'll have the chance to revisit the sniper-friendly clock tower.

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Weber's 2022 smart grill lineup includes gas and pellet options

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'OlliOlli World' is a friendly but deceptively difficult skateboarding game

Roku is making a Weird Al mockumentary starring Daniel Radcliffe

Marvel's 'Moon Knight' series premieres March 30th on Disney+

YouTube (mostly) abandons its original content ambitions

Governments are paying more attention to the rise and rise of cryptocurrencies – and their tax implications – whether it’s the major players like Bitcoin and Ethereum or newcomers looking to pick up users, investors and headlines.

In Spain, influencers and other advertisers with more than 100,000 followers will soon have to notify the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) at least 10 days before plugging crypto assets. They'll face fines of up to €300,000 (around $342,000) for breaching the rules.

And it’s already happening. Some influencers who have plugged crypto-assets and related products have found themselves in hot water. In July 2021, French authorities fined a reality TV star €20,000 ($22,800) for “misleading commercial practices” over a Bitcoin trading site ad on Snapchat. More recently, Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather were named defendants in a class-action lawsuit that accuses them of taking part in a "pump and dump" scheme earlier this month.

— Mat Smith

Apple may have dropped built-in noise cancellation on the iPhone 13

It's been a long-running accessibility feature on past iPhones.

Engadget

Apple's Noise Cancellation accessibility feature has been a staple on past iPhones but may have been permanently removed from the iPhone 13 series. The feature "reduces ambient noise on phone calls when you are holding the receiver to your ear," a feature that can help make calls easier to hear.

"Phone Noise Cancellation is not available on iPhone 13 models, which is why you do not see this option in [the Accessibility] settings," Apple support told one of 9to5Mac's readers. When the reader asked for clarification, the support team confirmed the feature is "not supported."

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Even Walmart might be getting into cryptocurrency and NFTs

Patents have been filed.

CNBC is reporting that Walmart filed several trademark applications with the US patent office in late December for selling virtual goods. Meanwhile, in another filing, it said it would provide cryptocurrency and NFTs. While the documents don't necessarily guarantee action, they’re surprisingly detailed.

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That time France tried to make decimal time a thing

Days were divided into ten parts.

pjjones via Getty Images

The French Revolution of 1789 set its sights on more than simply toppling the monarchy. Revolutionaries sought to break the nation free of its past, reframing how time itself was measured. In short, it tried to make decimal time happen. Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola explains the attempt.

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Samsung's new mobile processor uses an AMD ray-tracing GPU

It's likely to appear in the upcoming Galaxy S22.

Samsung’s first mobile processor with an AMD RDNA 2-powered GPU will allow ray-tracing and other gaming features. The system-on-chip (SoC) will likely appear in Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S22, rumored to be launching at an Unpacked event on February 8th.

AMD and Samsung announced a collaboration back in 2019, with the expectation that AMD's graphics tech would be used in Exynos smartphone processors. Rumors early last year suggested that AMD-powered Samsung processors were coming soon, and at Computex, AMD subsequently confirmed an upcoming Exynos mobile system-on-chip would feature its RDNA 2 graphics tech.

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Awesome Games Done Quick raised a record $3.4 million for charity

US airlines warn C-Band 5G could cause 'catastrophic disruption'

Samsung's 14-inch Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra may offer equally massive specs

The next iPad Pro will reportedly offer MagSafe charging and a 'brand new chip'

I’m not sure what’s in Sony’s playbook when it comes to selling its phones in the US. Take the Xperia 5 III. After launching in other regions last year, the phone is only now available stateside for $1,000. This is its middle-ish high-end phone, with the flagship Xperia 1 series of smartphones (seen above) both bigger and pricier.

Sony

For that price, this Xperia does have things to offer. The autofocus tricks, courtesy of Sony’s camera arm, are often impressive. The Xperia 5 III can also record 4K video at up to 120 fps; it’s a camera-first smartphone designed for folks who are really into photography or video. But, well, that’s true of all of Sony’s recent phones. And if you’re dying for truly cutting-edge smartphone photography, perhaps the Xperia Pro-I, with a 1-inch camera sensor, would fulfill the brief more clearly. It’s... only $800 more — further evidence of Sony’s smartphone prices feeling entirely separate from its competitors.

— Mat Smith

Sony A7 IV camera review

A powerhouse of a hybrid camera

Engadget

Sony’s A7 IV is a successful followup to its popular mainstream A7 III. Resolution is up considerably to 33 megapixels, and image quality is much improved overall. Video is now on par with rivals with 4K at up to 60p with 10 bit 4:2:2 quality. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and the in-body stabilization does a good job. The biggest drawbacks are the relatively high price and the rolling shutter that limits use of the electronic shutter. Steve Dent puts the newest, best Sony camera to the test. (And I guest star as a voice-over talent.)

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Comcast tests the first multigigabit cable modem

But will you get full use of that bandwidth?

Comcast has successfully tested the first 10G modem capable of multigigabit speeds. The Broadcom-built prototype can provide download and upload bandwidth topping 4Gbps. At those speeds, downloading all 61 gigs of Call of Duty: Vanguard for PC would take just over two minutes.

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'Baby Shark' is the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views

Sorry, everyone.

YouTube

Doop doop doop doop doop doop. Times 10 billion.

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This is the beginning of the end for the Xbox One

Microsoft is no longer making the consoles.

We learned in July 2020 that Microsoft had discontinued the Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital Edition. Now, it has emerged the company also quietly stopped making the Xbox One S by the end of that year, “to focus on the production of Xbox Series X/S,” according to Xbox’s senior director of console product marketing.

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Woman sentenced to prison for stealing 3,000 iPods intended for students

The employee also filed fraudulent tax returns to try to cover up her actions.

Kristy Stock was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for her role in a scheme to steal and resell more than 3,000 iPods intended for Native American students. The charges against Stock included both tax fraud and transportation of stolen goods. Stock was supposed to use federal grant money to buy iPods to distribute to students. However, thanks to help from other conspirators James Bender and Saurabh Chawla, the group ended up shipping the stolen iPods to Maryland where they were listed on eBay before being sold at a “substantial” markup.

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Facebook, Google, Twitter and Reddit subpoenaed over January 6th insurrection

Company responses so far have been 'inadequate,' according to the committee.

Facebook owner Meta, Google, Twitter and Reddit have been subpoenaed by the Congressional select committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. Two key questions for the select committee are how the spread of misinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent attack on our democracy, and what steps — if any — social media companies took to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalizing people to violence,” committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 are back on sale for $100

Apple's updated iCloud Private Relay notice clarifies why it might not work for some users

Leica's M11 rangefinder camera features a 60-megapixel, full-frame sensor

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Pioneer DJ debuts DDJ-REV series of battle-style controllers

On Wednesday, the White House said it plans to allocate billions of dollars for more wind, solar and geothermal energy projects across the US. That will include moving forward with the lease of six commercial areas off the coasts of New York and New Jersey to turn the area into wind farms. More than 488,000 acres of ocean seafloor will be used to build an estimated 5.6 and 7 gigawatts of clean power generation. Using the $65 billion Congress set aside for power grid upgrades, the initiative also puts $2.5 billion toward funding the installation of new transmission lines.

The Biden administration may still struggle to decarbonize the country’s power grid by 2035, however. Not only is there political gridlock, but the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has said that federal agencies spent $684 billion on coal plant carbon capture and storage projects — most of which have failed.

— Mat Smith

Logitech unveils $60 Litra Glow light for streamers

The company says it 'ensures creators always look their best.'

Logitech

We all want to look good. Whether it’s on a stream or Zoom call, decent lighting is crucial. Logitech has just launched a new lighting device made for streamers called Litra Glow, and it says the product is capable of providing a "natural, radiant look across all skin tones."

Litra Glow delivers a glare-free light supposed to be gentle on the eyes and safe for all-day streaming. Logitech's TrueSoft technology promises cinematic color accuracy and enables a soft, flattering light that can apparently make streamers look less, well, tired.

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NVIDIA begins rolling out Android 11 update to all Shield TV models

It adds voice search via Google Assistant.

NVIDIA has started rolling out Software Experience Upgrade 9.0 for Shield TV devices to upgrade their operating system to Android 11. The company says Experience 9.0 will bring the new OS to all Shield TVs, including the original 2015 models. The upgrade adds access to a new Google Keyboard with support for voice searches.

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Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather sued over alleged crypto scam

The celebrities promoted EthereumMax before its value fell by 98 percent.

Johnny Nunez via Getty Images

A class-action lawsuit has named Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather and basketball star Paul Pierce as defendants for promoting a cryptocurrency called EthereumMax. According to Finbold, the plaintiffs sued the celebrities and the still-unidentified entities behind the tokens for causing the value of the Ethereum knockoff to soar so "they could sell their portion of the Float for a profit."

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Canon forced to ship 'knockoff' ink cartridges due to chip shortage

They’re not fakes, they just lack a certain chip.

Canon has had to ship toner cartridges without copy protection chips due to ongoing shortages. That, in turn, has led to some ImageRunner multifunction printers incorrectly flagging official cartridges as knockoffs — Canon has even told printer owners how to bypass the warnings and deal with broken toner level detection.

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Jack Dorsey proposes a legal defense fund for Bitcoin developers

He's concerned lawsuits could stifle the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Lawsuits are an increasing occurrence in the Bitcoin ecosystem, and former Twitter chief Jack Dorsey thinks he can help fend them off. Coindeskreports Dorsey, Chaincode's Alex Morcos and academic Martin White have proposed a nonprofit legal defense fund for Bitcoin developers to protect them against lawsuits and similar "legal pressure."

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2021 was a very good year for the PC market

The picture for 2022 looks rosy, too.

The PC’s pandemic-era renaissance continues. Canalys estimates PC shipments jumped 15 percent year-over-year to 341 million despite supply shortages. Simply put, many of the customers in 2021 were adding new PCs rather than replacing existing ones.

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The biggest news stories you might have missed

Nuro's third-gen driverless delivery vehicle includes an external airbag

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE pre-orders at Amazon come with a $100 gift card

Magic Leap grants healthcare startups access to its new AR headset ahead of mid-2022 release

Netflix and Apple lead SAG Award nominations with 'Squid Game' and 'Ted Lasso'

Apple releases iOS 15.2.1 to patch a serious HomeKit DDoS vulnerability

Keychron's Q2 is a compact take on its popular customizable keyboard

WFH didn’t just mean working from home. For those with the drive, it also stood for workouts from home. Many companies boomed as they adjusted to many of us shifting our training and exercise from gym to living room / spare room / that corner of the bedroom. Now, the pendulum is swinging back as some gyms tentatively reopen, and we return to the squat rack that didn’t quite fit into our tiny studio apartment. But that won’t stop fitness companies from introducing new blends of gear with tech tricks, hoping you’ll be willing to upgrade your gear.

NordicTrack’s Adjustable Dumbbells can connect to any Amazon Alexa-capable third-party device to quickly adjust the weight from 5lbs to 50lbs (in 5lb increments) with just your voice. The voice assistant, sadly, won’t cajole you into a few extra reps.

There’s a subscription training service to go along with the $429 dumbbells — available now — but it’s thankfully not required.

— Mat Smith

'Horizon Forbidden West' may have leaked a month early

Another spoiler minefield.

Sony

Horizon Forbidden West is one of the most-anticipated games coming to PS5. But just over a month before the action RPG arrives on February 18th, it appears an unfinished version of the game has leaked. It’s another problem for Sony. Months before The Last of Us Part II was released, a large portion of the game, including cutscenes with major story spoilers, leaked online.

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China's lunar probe finds on-site evidence of water on the Moon's surface

NASA had previously remotely confirmed the presence of the substance.

China Daily CDIC / reuters

China’s Chang’e-5 lunar lander has found water on the surface of the Moon, marking the first-ever time scientists have found on-site evidence of the substance on Earth’s satellite. Chinese researchers claim the lander detected signs of water molecules or hydroxyl, a close chemical cousin of H2O.

Chinese scientists believe most of the molecules came to the Moon through a process called solar wind implantation. Charged particles from the sun drove hydrogen atoms to the lunar surface where they later bonded with oxygen to form water and hydroxyl. The study builds on findings NASA published in 2018 when it found evidence of water on the sunlit surfaces of the Moon using an airborne infrared telescope.

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LAPD fired two officers who ignored robbers to play 'Pokémon Go'

To catch a Snorlax.

The LAPD has fired two police officers for ignoring a robbery on April 15th, 2017, deciding instead to play Pokémon Go. Rather than respond to a radio call demanding backup for a theft at Macy's in the Crenshaw Mall, the officers reportedly spent the next 20 minutes driving around to catch a Snorlax.

Lozano and Mitchell denied playing Pokémon Go and insisted they were only “having a conversation” about the game, but the in-car camera revealed they discussed the robbery call and chose to ignore it. Another officer also witnessed the cruiser leave the area after the call.

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The Associated Press will turn its photojournalism into NFTs

It will launch on January 31st.

The Associated Press (AP) will start selling its "award-winning contemporary and historic photojournalism" as non-fungible tokens on January 31st. The news agency teamed up with blockchain technology provider Xooa to develop a marketplace for its NFTs, which will debut with an initial collection it will release after opening.

AP's initial collection includes digitally enhanced Pulitzer Prize-winning images across categories such as space, climate and war. Each one will include the image's original metadata that shows its location, the time and date it was taken and the equipment and settings the photographer used for the shot.

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A Nintendo Switch Online and microSD bundle is half off on Amazon

Signal founder Moxie Marlinspike steps down as CEO

Roku offers easy access to live TV with a new hub

Uber no longer supports ride-hailing via the Apple Watch

'Wordle' clones are taking over the App Store

Rapid COVID tests will soon be fully covered by insurance in the US

GM recognizes California's authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards

'Attack on Titan' gear is coming to 'Call of Duty'

'Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection' heads to Nintendo Switch on February 17th

So we’re already over the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition, announced just last week. Let’s turn our attention to Samsung’s Galaxy S22 family, apparently ready to officially break cover next month. According to South Korea's Digital Daily, a launch event is set to take place on February 8th. Judging by the leaks and rumors, you can expect to see three different devices, too, with differing screen sizes, specs and prices. The top of the range Galaxy S22 Ultra may feature a Super Clear Lens on its camera array. We just don’t know quite what that means yet.

When we do, we’ll be sharing all the details with you.

— Mat Smith

Honor is the latest company to launch a foldable phone.

The Magic V has larger screens than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Honor

Are you ready to be confused by yet another similar-looking foldable smartphone? Honor’s Magic V is its first attempt at the foldable form factor, and like Samsung's Z Fold devices, it’s a dual-screen smartphone. On the outside, it has a 6.45-inch, 431 PPI external display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,080, 120Hz refresh rate and 21:9 aspect ratio. Open it up, and you’ll unfold a 7.9-inch screen that has a 2,272 x 1,984 resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. In a bid to fight the issues of creases on these very expensive devices, Honor says its water-drop hinge helps avoid wrinkles.

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US greenhouse emissions increased by 6.2 percent last year

More people driving contributed to the increase.

Over the last year, US greenhouse emissions increased by 6.2 percent compared to 2020 levels, according to a new report from the Rhodium Group. The jump puts the country further behind meeting the reduction targets put forward by the Paris Climate Agreement. Behind the increase in overall emissions were corresponding jumps in pollution in the transportation and power sectors.

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Razer reneges on its claim the Zephyr mask uses 'N95-grade' filters

The company claims the change wasn't prompted by regulatory pressure.

Razer

Razer has removed any mention of “N95-grade” filters in its Zephyr and the recently announced Zephyr Pro smart face masks from its website and other marketing materials. “The wearable by itself is not a medical device nor certified as an N95 mask,” a Razer spokesperson told Engadget. “To avoid any confusion, we are in the process of removing all references to ‘N95 Grade Filter’ from our marketing material.”

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Surgeons successfully transplant genetically modified pig heart into a human patient

It was an experimental procedure.

Doctors at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have accomplished a medical first. Its surgeons successfully transplanted a pig heart into a 57-year-old patient as part of an experimental procedure.

They were able to demonstrate that a genetically modified animal organ could survive and function within the human body without immediate rejection. Three days after the procedure, patient David Bennett is alive and “doing well,” according to the hospital.

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Watch the trailer for 'Bel-Air'

It’s a reimagined origin story for The Fresh Prince.

Bel-Air, Peacock’s modern-day reinterpretation of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will debut on February 13th, the streamer announced on Monday and shared a first-look trailer. All the main characters from the original return, though they may not be like you remember them.

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Tesla 'Full Self-Driving' beta features an 'Assertive' mode with rolling stops

Rode's VideoMic Go II changed my opinion on what a shotgun mic can do

Take-Two is acquiring mobile game giant Zynga for $12.7 billion

Spotify is still working on HiFi streaming, but won't say when it's coming

Scientists observe a red supergiant going supernova for the first time